Production of mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen suitable for the manufacture of ammonia.



' we ter t? rairnnr orricn JULIUS VJ'IESBADEN, AND FRIEDRICH RIEGHE, O OESTRICH-ON-THE- EHINE, GEBJMANY, ASSIGNOR'S TO THE FIRM 0F RUDOLPH KOEPP & C0,, CHE- MISQHE FARR/EX, OI? OESTRICH-ON-THERHINE, GERMANY.

PRODUCTIDI Q' MIXTURES 03:" NITRGGEN AND HYDROGEN SUITABLE FOR. THE

: MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA.

LQQEJE PSO Drawing.

Y e-1:2 5 whom it may concern Be it l'ilOWIl that we, JULIUS Weiss and Fninonroi-r RIECI-IE, both subjects of the German Emperor, and residents, respectively, of lViesbaden' and Oestrich-on-the-Rhine, Germany, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the'Production of liiixtures of Nitrogen and Hydrogen Suitable for the Manufacture of Aminonim'of which the following is a specification,

Gaseous mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen for use in catalytically converting nitrogen and. hydrogen into ammonia have hitherto bee oroduced by the alternate oxidation and reduction of suitable substances, such for instance as copper, for obtaining nitroand iron. for obtaining hydrogen, the nitrogen being obtained from nitrogen and oxygen mixtures and the hydrogen from steam. Such processes for the production of such mixtures; are expensive as they must be carried out at high temperatures, which cause rapid Wear of the retorts and of the furnace materials and rapid deterioration of the contact mass used in generating the hydrogen, lVe have overcome these disadvantages by the hereinafter described process of producing mixtures of nitrogen and hydro, gen suitable for the synthetic production of anunonia While simultaneously obtaining val Hill lle ivy-products.

This improved process consists in producing termates by the action of ga es containcarbon mononid and nitrogen (for in :1 nee producer gas) on alkali, either in solution or in a solid form, the operations befurther carried on until exalt ties are ed. Nitrogenis evolved during the pro VII of the formates and hydrogen is ated during the formation of oXalates. The formation of oxa'lates may be efiected e presence of the nitrogen separated in ormatiouof the forniates, and the final nurtureof nitrogen and hydrogen be thus once obtained, but it is preferable for the purpose of securing a suitably proportioned mixture, to separate the nitro en obtained during the first part of the process and t iuix this nitrogen with the hydrogen liberated during thesceond part of the process. 3L5 the formation of the formate takes place under pressure, the nitrogen can be "JR'Etl in a highly compressed state and he Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial 110,514,558.

Patented May 26, 1914,

subsequently mixed with the hydrogen, whereby a highly compressed gaseous mixtrue is obtained, such a mixture being of especial advantage for the tion of ammonia.

The specification of the German Patent r ynthetic produc- No. 201895 proposes to use, as fuel, hydro-- gen liberated in the conversion of fol-mates into oxalntes, but 1n contradlstmction thereto, according to this 1nvent1on, nltrogen and hydrogen are obtained at the same place andproducer gas is absorbed by the caustic soda,

and sod um formate is thereby formedwhile nitrogeit is blo'wn out of the receptacle sirnultanepusiy with the air-present therein. When the nitrogen is free from oxygen and as long as it is freed from carbon monoxidion accountof a sufficient excess of caustic soda, it is collected in a gas holder. When he performed,

the whole of the caustic soda is converted into. formats, the supply of gas from the producer is discontinued and the temperature in the receptacle is raised sothat the sodium formats is converted into sodium oxalate, and at this stage of the operation hydrogen is evolved and is collected in the gas holder containing the nitrogen, the proportion being preferably one part of ni trogen to three parts ofhydro en.

Example 2: A solution of 80 kilograms oi caustic soda in 400 liters of Water is introduced into a vessel provided With a stirrer, and into this vessel, producer gas is passed, while the solution is being stirred. Forinate solution is formed which, on being evaporated to dryness, furnishes 136 kilograms of dry forn ate, While nitrogen under pressure is evolve/ land is led-to a gas holder.

when the :Eormate mama into the essel umfl by mtmgen. Then with secm'u'i the ra wiion which then 21k,

in nil dzm iHfi'iOll m'mdeiL lilmmplu 3: Pmneed as describefl in the fmeguing'Example 2 and draw by mazms 0t 21 pinup the hydrogen produced. in a 1mm- Liou vessel free fmm air, or filled with niiiwugm'x 311G cmrqu'ess it in a storage vesseh I As U10 prm'luctmi of formats. can genmfly eflmctcd under a somewl'mt considerable excess of prcssns, the liitmgen can be 01% mined easilyin a, compressed state. If the pressure in iha hydzrugen momma VB? hclu 1,, mm thereto, ii; is

*mthcr use the 'iwn gases in the desirefl gumwrl ion of 0m to three for the ynthetic pm f In this too H mm inc/ ion 03E. m'nmoniu.

no danger -07? ez'xpiosmn and were if n'wters or. hydrogen- :1 0 1. $7110 advantage that the energy m 1310?: i3 prewz C3 Lha man's tram ggasecus turban which uu1numnpressml and and ":Jgun mm .mnl'm heating the 11mm ing' fGlIk'ftKd in; convert it an urchin and set m1: h 111: 'xbl'amn' the resuiflug My z'fi gvn with the: 0011mm "1 nitrogen to ffwm :1 cnxn ncsscd gudems 11112311112.

2.- Tha process of produuing a l'l'liKtUi) of nitrogen and hydl-ugen suiiabka Ear use in the mmmfactm'u of ammonia \vhmh 00m.- r'issfzs irantfig caustic 505M with a 06mmseous; mixture uur'maining nitrogen and. carbon mmloxifi f0 Inrnduwa smlimn f'nrmaie and nitrogen, squirming the nitrogen and nuzrintcxiuing it undw' yu'essmeg hunting the T6911 1?? mmxmte L0 cunvert it into oxalate 1111165 free hydrq w and ('(Hll'uiliing "he resuiting Mwimg n with the tour mtmgen to farm :1 rrn1'11p1f0srsud gals eons mixture.

1n. tastimony whereof we haw; slgnm mu nzmws in 'L-m speclh zntmn m the presmimc of 

